Merrill Cook
| Merrill Cook | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Enid Greene |
| Succeeded by | Jim Matheson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 6, 1946 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party |
Republican (Before 1988; 1996–present) Independent (1988–1996) |
| Spouse(s) | Camille Cook |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater |
University of Utah Harvard University |
| Religion | Mormonism |
Merrill Cook (born May 6, 1946) is a Republican Party politician and businessman who served in the United States House of Representatives from Utah.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Cook was the son of scientist Melvin A. Cook who pioneered the development of slurry explosives. He graduated from East High School in 1964 and the University of Utah in 1969 and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1971. He was hired as a budget analyst by Arthur D. Little, Inc. and in 1973 founded Cook Slurry Company, a mining explosives manufacturer, of which he served as president and chief executive.
Cook married Camille Sanders with whom he had five children. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Prior to his election to Congress, Cook ran for office a number of times both as a Republican and on the Utah Independent ticket, a party he founded himself in 1988. Cook ran for Utah Board of Education in 1984, Mayor of Salt Lake City in a 1985 special election, and Salt Lake County Commission in 1986, all to no avail.
Cook made his first bid for Governor of Utah in 1988, finishing third with 21% of the vote. His candidacy siphoned off enough votes from the Republican and Democratic candidates, incumbent governor Norm Bangerter and former Salt Lake City mayor Ted Wilson, that Bangerter won by just a 40% plurality over Wilson's 38% of the vote. Cook made a second run for Governor in 1992, coming in second with 34% to Republican nominee Mike Leavitt's 42% and Democrat Stewart Hanson's 23%. In 1994, he ran for Congress in Utah's 2nd district, taking third place with 18% behind Republican victor Enid Greene and Democratic incumbent Karen Shepherd.
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